


Father's Back

by Soundone



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Drama, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 15:05:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18013166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soundone/pseuds/Soundone
Summary: Each scar was a reminder of violence, each tattoo a brand of shame. As Nina stares upon the tapestry of blood and ink that was her father's back, she is faced with the flesh of the father she did not know, and memories of the father that she did.





	Father's Back

‘’...lower right trapezius, tattoo. Burning snake skull.’’

‘’Nine years back. Petty gang I ran with in Blacklight for a while. Everyone but me died when the boss’s sweetheart sold us out to a rival gang.’’ His voice rang so casually, not a trace of loss in the confession. ‘’Heheh, they had it coming after they stole my cut.’’

‘’...left latissimus dorsi, scar. Looks like an arrow puncture.’’

‘’Fourteen years back. Windmire. Guard shot me after he saw me steal an apple. Luckily, none of my blood got on the fruit.’’

‘’...’’

Her father’s face was still plastered with that damned smile as the two of them sat in the deserted infirmary, nothing but the amber glow of a dying torch affirming their presence to each other. Nina’s body lightly trembled as she stared at the bare expense of Niles’ back, her heal staff long forgotten as she numbly took in the chaotic tapestry of ink and scars, blood and sins. The bronze plains of her father’s skin looked like a battlefield, the earth savaged by marks that sank into flesh like canyons. Between the wounds, black, tainted shadows stalked the land with hate, each claiming a portion of Niles’ skin as its own. It made her want to hurl.

‘’Nina? I thought you were supposed to be healing my injuries?’’ She could hear the tease in that insurrerable voice. ‘’I know I’m quite handsome, but it’s not appropriate to gawk at your father you know?’’

‘’Teh, creep.’’ she muttered, tongue flickering automatically. Niles simply laughed at the response before quickly falling back into silence as he bowed his head and awaited the next response. Nina’s eyes glazed over as the numerous scars and shadows stared back at her, thoughts lost in midnight.

She remembered when she first learned the cruel truth behind her father’s charming smile. On the rare occasions he visited her in the deeprealms, he was always so kind, so moral, not daring to utter even the most basic of swear words or innuendos, a stark difference to the colourful vocabulary she had heard in recent months.

She truly loved him with all her heart back then, thought the man to be a saint. She was so hopeful back then, so innocent, so naive. It was all before she heard the whispers from passerbys, discovered the trail of bounties and blood that loomed within in his shadow.

‘’Right shoulder, scar. Probably a dagger wound.’’

‘’Six years back. Outskirts of Dia. We mugged a noble and his guards. Stupid blueblood could have taken out my arm if he even slightly knew how to use a sword. His clothes were worth a pretty penny, even if it was a bit more red than the buyer was expecting.’’

‘’ _ That’s the daughter of Niles, the wanted man, right? Keep your distance...’’ _

‘’ _ Watch your purse, dear. Their family’s no good...’’ _

‘’ _ What sort of sick bitch would bare the kid of a scumbag like that? Prince Leo should have had him executed a long time ago...’’ _

She screamed at those people, grabbed them by the collar and demanded them to apologize for saying such terrible lies about her father. Some would cower in fear, some would scowl at her, some would even hit her. They all dug the hole in her heart deeper, fuelled the shadow of doubt against her father’s smile.

‘’Lower waist, tattoo. Looks like cattle brand or something...’’

‘’...We’re not talking about that one.’’

‘’...’’

Then came that fateful night when she had enough of the slander and broke into the royal archives. There she found the truth she never wanted to learn. Countless wanted posters, testimonies, bounties. She didn’t move for what felt like hours in face of such overwhelming evidence. Only after a short eternity did her trembling body act, weakly picking up a wrinkled poster. A pitiful whimper escaped past pale lips as the damning visage of her dad stared emotionlessly back.

_ Wanted: Niles _

_ Bounty: 10000 gold _

_ Crimes: Robbery, Theft, Murd- _

She instantly became sick all over the carpet. She remembered silently weeping to herself in front of towering, mocking shelves as the image of her beloved father swiftly crumbled to dust before her. She ran away that night, joined a band of outlaws, swore to never have anything to do with the man again.

‘’Median furrow, burn. Spreads up and down.’’

‘’Twelve years back. Windmire. Ahh, that brings back memories. My initiation for the gang I ran with the longest. It’s supposed to look like a chain, since all the new recruits are branded in a line, bound together for life. I guess they decided to ignore that when they left me for dead.’’

She was so disgusted at his crimes.

‘’Left elbow, scar. Runs the length of your forearm.

‘’Five years back. Windmire. Friend of a rival gang member we killed attacked us when we weren’t looking. Killed the guy in front of me and did a number on my arm, but I managed to stick an arrow in his eye. Poor sod in front wouldn’t stop clinging to me.’’

Yet, more importantly, she was so angry that he had hidden it from her, had lied to her.

She fell into a long silence, trying to ignore the slight mist that blurred her vision. Nina closed her eyes to the horrid tapestry for a moment.

‘’...Nina?’’ she heard her father say, worry tracing his usually cool voice. ‘’Was...Was that too much? I shouldn’t have been so graphic about it.’’

The girl dimly shook her head, even if it wasn’t true. It had been too much ever since she broke into the archives all those years ago. ‘’No...but why are you telling me this? I thought you never wanted me to know about your past? You did hide it from me for so long after all...’’ There was a echo of anger in that last sentence, soft, yet bold as it slowly melted into the darkness. Unlike her father, Nina’s tone kept no secrets.

Niles took a long breath, clearly expecting the question. Bronze, calloused fingers tensely combed past the outlaw’s dusty hair, snakes in the undergrowth, rats in an alleyway. It was like the man was trying to silence his sins, calm the skeletons in his closet in order to have this single moment of peace with a daughter he long since orphaned.

‘’The war’s coming to a close, Nina. You’ll have to find your own path soon.’’ Her father’s voice was quiet, remorseful, whimsy lost as the accusations screamed louder from his past. ‘’I’ve had my fun, enjoyed those few short moments where my daughter treated me like a father and not the monster that I am.’’ He removed his hand from his hair before moving it into the light, his one good eye glazed, as if expecting it to be still covered in a man’s fresh blood.

‘’I didn’t want to hide it from you anymore, didn’t want for you to discover those terrible things alone again, scribbled on some tear-stained parchment or from the mouth of someone too bitter to think clearly. It’s time you to see me as what I really am, the horrible things I did and the consequences of them, so you won’t fall into the same pit as I did.’’

Nina saw her father put on another one of those cheap smiles, but she wanted to do anything but return it. ‘’But enough about that! Go ahead and quickly finish healing me or ask your questions. I know you have boys to be stalking and I don’t want to keep you.’’

She grunted noncommittally, not even trying to refute the tease.

‘’...base of spine, tattoo. A black vine.’’

‘’Ten years back. Windmire. All the hitmen in the gang got this tattoo. Every leaf on the vine represents a kill.’’ He gave a hollow laugh. ‘’Don’t be unimpressed. I killed the tattoo artist years before I left. It’s not an accurate representation.’’

‘’ _ Oh, darling~!’’ _

_ Her tiny feet pitter-pattered towards the door in a hurry, grey pigtails bouncing excitedly as olive eyes gleefully anticipated the charming smile that was just inches away. Wood flung open before she suddenly found herself in warm, tanned arms. _

‘’ _ Daddy!’’ _

‘’ _ Nina, how are you doing, my little angel?’’ His voice was so pure. _

‘’Calf, puncture.’’

‘’Six years back, arrow wound. Some godforsaken forest. Guards managed to managed to ambush us there. Hehe, I was a lucky one. Almost everyone else got theirs in less preferable places.’’

_ It’s her 9 _ _ th _ _ birthday. He comes this time, bearing a literal sack of presents for her, from simple toys to lavishly expensive books. They play until the sun goes down, eating cake, singing songs, running about town until the energy is completely gone from their body. _

_ ‘’I had so much fun today, daddy! Why don’t you come to my birthdays more often?’’ _

_ ‘’Sorry sweetheart, but daddy’s been busy, working to afford all these gifts for you!’’ His eyes looked so trustworthy. _

‘’...shoulder plate...goblet.’’

‘’Ah, that one was a gift from the gang for pulling off a rather lucrative robbery! Funny, isn’t it? I get a medal and a nice cut of gold, but the saps who died helping me didn’t even get a grave.’’

_ It was the last time he visited before she ran away and he came while she was sleeping. She vaguely remembers rough and scarred fingers combing through her hair, a touch she hadn’t felt in years stirring emotion from her heart and tears from her eyes. _

_ ‘’Dad...please...don’t go…’’ _

_ ‘’...I’m sorry, Nina. I love you...’’ But, it was all a lie. He had abandoned her, like he was doing right now, all over again. _

A scream that had been repressed for her entire life ripped through the tent. Eyes burning with sorrow and rage, she viciously digs her nails into her father’s shoulders before violently reaping them downwards, ten deep and bloody trails of red dominate over faded scars and ancient tattoos. Her father jumped forwards in pain before turning a surprised expression around to face her. 

‘’YOUR ENTIRE GODDAMN BACK, FINGERNAIL SCRATCHES!’’ Rueful eyes falter into despairing palms, tears dribbling wildly down Nina’s wrists. ‘’Your daughter, who still loves you, who wants you back!’’

With that, the thief rushes blindly out of the tent, leaving the shell shocked Niles gaping and wounded as echoes of his daughter’s heartrending cries echoes loudly in his ears.

‘’...A-Ah...Nina…’’ he pitifully sobs, a lonely trail of tears dripping down the expense of a face he had not worn in ages. He brings a hand to his back, feeling the ridges of his daughter's emotion, not caring for the seething pain as the fresh scars on his flesh ran parallel with the ones in his heart. 

‘’What did you ever do...to deserve a father like me?...’’


End file.
